(Australia-NewsWire.Com, November 12, 2012 ) Victoria, Australia- Social media has not led a younger generation to give up on reading. Recent studies actually provide evidence to the opposite, as young people are spending more time reading blogs, websites, and magazines on a more frequent basis. The amount of time doing this ‘non-formal’ reading surpasses the reading of books by a wide margin.
The Pew Research Center’s Internet American Life Project conducted a phone survey with young people over a month-long period. Those who are library patrons between the ages of 16-29 and borrow e-books were also involved in the study.
The study showed that 43% of Americans read long-form e-content such as books, magazines, and newspapers.
Some 30% of e-content readers stated they spend more time reading than they did before they could access such works online. Another 28% of e-content readers aged 30 or older stated they were also reading more.
The National Literacy Trust in Great Britain, during a 2010 study, found that 20% of students do not read either fiction or nonfiction books. Of that same sampling, 67% surf websites weekly, and 55% read emails, while 46% read blogs.
The effect on reading is not limited to youth in positive ways. A 2005 study showed how language utilized in smses and social networks had influenced how children and young adults learn English. The study showed that the English language proficiency among the younger generation was being harmed more than influenced positively.
The study noted that SMS language affects two major aspects of language proficiency among young persons. The skill to express one’s self was most notably hampered, while the ability to use words appropriately within context was also harmed.
Developing minds have a tendency to utilize SMS language within standard language when writing, even in the context of school testing, assignment work, and school reports. This points to an inability to differentiate between formal and informal language scenarios, the study revealed.
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